Sanchez thinks time is right for Hispanic governor

Published: Monday, September 03, 2001

AUSTIN {AP} When Tony Sanchez officially kicks off his gubernatorial campaign Tuesday in Laredo, the South Texas millionaire will be embarking on a political journey that could end with the Democrat as the state's first Hispanic governor.

"I am absolutely convinced today that I have an extremely good chance of winning," Sanchez said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Democratic Party, which in 1998 lost state power for the first time since Reconstruction, hopes to translate Sanchez's confidence into votes.

Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the state's 20.9 million people, growing from 4.4 million in 1990 to 6.7 million in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Of the 11.6 million Texans who are registered to vote, 2.4 million have Hispanic surnames, according to the Secretary of State's office. Another 1.2 million Hispanic Texans are of voting age but are not registered and 900,000 are registered but do not vote.

Democrats aren't the only ones taking note.

"No party or candidate should realistically expect to win many elections in the future without aggressively competing for the support of Hispanics today," said Susan Weddington, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Texas.

Hispanics elected to statewide office include former Attorney General Dan Morales, a Democrat; and former state Supreme Court Justice Al Gonzalez and current Railroad Commissioner Tony Garza, both Republicans.

"Texas has begun to have a tradition of voting for Latinos on the upper end of the ticket," said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the nonpartisan William C. Velasquez Institute. "The governor thing is new, so it's a little bit different."

Sanchez will become the first well-funded Hispanic candidate for Texas governor and likely the front-runner among Democrats in 2002.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who inherited the state's top post when George W. Bush became president, is expected to be the GOP nominee in 2002.

Bush's popularity in 1998 provided coattails for Perry, who won 30 percent of the Hispanic vote in his lieutenant governor bid.